There are several well known types of electrical raceway systems which are designed to be placed in a floor. There are for example "underfloor raceways" as defined in Article 354 of the National Electrical Code and "cellular metal floor raceways" as defined in Article 356 of the National Electrical Code.
Monument fittings designed for use in either of the two mentioned raceway systems, and conceivably in some other systems, can generally be referred to as monument fittings for use with a raceway system designed to be placed in a floor. It should be noted that when the monument fitting is referred to as a monument fitting for an electrical raceway system to be placed in a floor, it is the raceway system which is placed in the floor, not the monument fitting.
As used herein the simple term "duct" or "raceway", or the phrase "raceway system for placement in a floor" or the like are intended to refer in a generic sense to an "underfloor raceway" or to a "cellular metal floor raceway" or both. Where the term "underfloor duct" or "underfloor raceway" is used it is intended as a reference to the particular type of system defined in Article 354 of the National Electrical Code.
The monument fitting disclosed in this application is designed primarily for use with an underfloor duct for use as part of an underfloor raceway, and is illustrated and described as such herein. It can, however, be used as part of a cellular metal floor raceway system and thus is generically referred to as a monument fitting for an electrical raceway system to be placed in a floor.
Underfloor duct is an electrical raceway system designed to be imbedded in the concrete floor of offices, classrooms, laboratories, manufacturing areas, supermarkets, etc., for the purpose of providing an enclosed raceway for wires and cables from their originating panel to their point of use. Such an underfloor raceway system includes two types of ducts, namely feeder ducts and distribution ducts. Complementing these two types of ducts are junction boxes, support couplers and supports, horizontal and vertical elbows, power and telephone outlets and numerous cast and sheet metal fittings such as conduit adapters, change of direction duct runs, "Y" take-offs, etc.
Typical monument fittings designed for use with such underfloor ducts, include a rigid framework which mounts at the floor level and is communicated with the underfloor duct through a vertical extension of the duct. The rigid monument fitting framework has an opening in which a service fitting such as a power outlet, telephone outlet, or computer outlet is connected. Typical prior art monument fittings are designed solely to provide side access or top access. None of the prior art monument fittings have provided the capability within a single framework of selectively arranging the electrical devices contained therein for either top or side access.
A typical example of a prior art monument fitting designed for side access is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,525 to Flachbarth et al.